The Hit
by Traw
Summary: He knew he had told Danny when he was coming back but after their argument, he was not surprised that Danny had opted not to be the one to greet him. But for Danny not to send one of the other guys to meet him was unusual. McGarrett glanced at the headlines of the paper in the news stand next to him. His heart skipped a beat. 'FIVE-O DETECTIVE CRITICAL AFTER PALACE SHOOTING.'
1. Chapter 1

The familiar sight of the Aloha Tower greeted the tall, dark-haired man as the plane taxied to a stop. Grabbing his bag from the overhead storage unit, he made his way out of the plane and into the terminal, searching the many faces for the one he sought. "That's odd," he muttered to himself, "I wonder why Danno isn't here?" He knew that he had told Danny when he was coming back but after the argument they had had before he left, he was not surprised that Danny had opted not to be the one to greet him. But for Danny not to send one of the other guys to meet him was unusual and disturbing. Looking around again and seeing none of his detectives, he walked out to the curb and hailed a cab.

Waiting for the bright yellow taxi to make its way through the heavy traffic to his location, McGarrett glanced at the headlines of the paper in the news stand next to him. The words screamed out at him, causing his heart to skip a beat, 'FIVE-O DETECTIVE CRITICAL AFTER PALACE SHOOTING'. Pulling some change out of his pocket, it took two attempts of his shaking hand before the coins dropped into the slot and he was able to yank the door open and snatch the last paper before running to the cab. "Iolani Palace," he shouted shoving his badge in the stunned driver's face, "And step on it!"

McGarrett scanned the article, his heart in his mouth as he read the few scant details the article offered. 'Doctors are tonight battling to save the life of Hawaii Five-O's Second –In-Command Detective Danny Williams after a gunman entered the offices of the elite State Police Unit and opened fire this afternoon. The unidentified assailant who was wearing a mask and armed with a gun burst into the office just after 5:00 p.m. apparently catching Detective Williams, who was alone in the office at the time, completely off-guard. The sound of the gunfire alerted people working nearby but the gunman was gone when they arrived and witnesses' statements at this time are sketchy. An unofficial source has told reporters that the wounded detective is undergoing emergency surgery at Queens Hospital and his condition is listed as critical. So far, Hawaii Five-O detectives have made no official statement about the shooting although the Governor has promised to hold a press conference as soon as more information becomes available."

"Forget the Palace, take me to Queens Hospital!" McGarrett ordered as their eyes met in the rear view mirror.

"Sure thing, Bruddah," the driver answered, shoving the pedal to the floor, recognizing his passenger.

As the cab skidded to a stop in front of the Queens Hospital's Emergency Department, McGarrett tossed some bills onto the seat as he opened the door and ran towards the glass entrance doors.

Exploding through the doors of Queen's Hospital Emergency Department, Steve charged towards the admissions desk, intent on finding his injured detective. "McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O," he barked anxiously at the gray haired nurse who sat behind the desk, showing his badge. "I understand that one of my detectives, Danny Williams was admitted here this afternoon."

Shuffling deliberately through the papers, it was all the frantic detective could do not to grab the forms out of her hands and search through them himself, "Mr. Williams was admitted earlier and taken to surgery."

"What was his condition?" McGarrett demanded anxiously.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I can't give you that information. You will need to talk to the attending physician." The nurse answered quietly bracing herself for the explosion.

"And where can I find the attending physician?" he asked, gritting his teeth at the delay.

"Steve!"

McGarrett turned as he heard Chin call his name. The Chinese detective hurried across to where his boss stood and took his bag that he had forgotten he was even holding as he demanded, "Chin, how is he? What the hell happened?"

The older detective shook his head as he led his boss to a more private place to talk. "He's critical Steve, he took three bullets, two in the stomach and one in the arm. The docs are doing all they can but it's touch and go. As to what happened, we just don't know. Danny was in the office alone. They must have taken him by surprise cause he didn't even have time to pull his gun before he was shot. A witness who heard the shooting saw a man run from the office wearing a ski mask and gloves."

"So there was just one? No one saw anyone else? Maybe someone waiting in a car?"

Chin shook his head, "Not that I know of Boss, Ben and Duke are looking for more witnesses now."

McGarrett frowned, "Any idea of motive?"

The older detective looked down and shuffled his feet before he looked back up at the man watching him and nodded, "Yeah Steve – You." At McGarrett's stunned expression, he quickly explained, "The witness heard the shooter yell as he ran out of the office that he gave you what you deserved." Chin's voice dropped as he added, "Danny was shot in your office."

"Oh God!"

"Boss, the guy was lookin' for you, but obviously didn't know what you looked like since he thought Danny was you," Chin looked seriously at his boss, "seems to me this may have been an attempted hit that went bad."

"And Danno took the bullets meant for me!" Steve murmured guiltily as Chin nodded solemnly.


	2. Chapter 2

The rod slid back and forth through the barrel of the gun, cleaning it and removing the residue from the recently fired bullets. Taking a soft cloth, he put a few drops of Hoppe's oil on it and ran it through the barrel as his thoughts traveled back to another time.

He was once again sitting at the kitchen table next to his grandfather as his grandmother cooked dinner. "He would still be alive now. The North Koreans were holding him prisoner and offered an exchange but were refused." He watched his grandfather carefully. The aging man looked into a distance the younger man couldn't see, his voice soft but filled with sorrow, regret and a burning anger. "I was told later that there was an officer in Naval Intelligence who refused to deal, and it was his fault. McGarrett. They said his name was McGarrett. My son meant nothing to him. All he had to do was free one lousy North Korean prisoner and my son would be sitting here now." He looked at the boy who watched him intently, hanging on every word of the story he had heard so many times. "McGarrett is the reason your father never came home. After the prisoner exchange was refused, he was taken out and shot, but this McGarrett may as well have pulled the trigger himself."

Looking down the barrel of the gun, he placed his thumb at the far end, allowing the light to shine down the barrel of the gun and reflect off his thumbnail, a quick and easy way to see if the gun was clean. No residue. Nothing left. Just like McGarrett when he had taken him completely by surprise only hours ago. He wished his grandfather could have seen the look of total shock on McGarrett's face as he pointed the Uzi at him and pulled the trigger. Now the world was just like his gun; clean and free of the dirty residue that was Steve McGarrett.

It was sheer luck that he had even found this man, this arrogant dictator who had proven once again that life meant nothing to him. On a whim he had decided to visit Hawaii, and no sooner had he gotten off the plane then he picked up a paper, and there it was, headline news: ONE DEAD AS BANK ROBBERS CAPTURED. The story told about Steve McGarrett, the head of the state's elite investigative unit, Hawaii Five-O. The bank robbers had hostages but McGarrett, true to form, had steadfastly refused to deal, resulting in the death of one of the hostages before the robbers had been captured. Yeah, McGarrett was still callously playing God with other people's lives, but luckily he had put an end to that, by putting an end to Steve McGarrett.

He'd have to get a newspaper. He had no doubt that McGarrett had made the headlines one last time, and he was going to take a copy home to show his grandfather, or at least take it to the grave. Maybe now that his father had been avenged, his grandfather could rest in peace.

H50H50H50

McGarrett paused in his pacing and glanced impatiently up at the clock again – 10.34pm, Danno had been in surgery for over five hours and nobody seemed able to update him on the condition of his youngest detective. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his tired face before he turned and began to pace again as he demanded, "Okay gentlemen, lets go over what we have!"

"Not much, Steve," Chin began, unfazed by his boss's brash command, "Danny was working in your office when the gunman entered at approximately 5pm. We believe that he must have taken Danny by surprise Danny's gun was still in his holster. There was ten shots fired, three striking Danny, two in the stomach and one in the arm, as he tried to stand, the others were embedded in the wall behind your desk. Che believes the gunman was standing at the door when the shots were fired. No one saw the gunman enter but a witness who heard the shots also said he heard the gunman yell that he had shot you but by the time he got to the office the gunman had fled. No one saw him leave."

McGarrett frowned as he turned and glared at his two detectives, "The newspaper report claims the gunman was wearing a mask, so someone must have seen him!"

"Danny wasn't able to give us much of a description, Steve." Ben answered softly as he stared down at his hands, still seeing the blood that had covered them as he tried to stem the bleeding. "I had been downstairs in the lab and had run back to the office after hearing the shots fired. Danny was still conscious. All he was able to tell me was the guy was tall and thin and was wearing a mask." Ben swallowed hard and looked back up at his boss. "And that the guy thought he was you. He wanted me to warn you."

"Where was Jenny?" Steve asked, aware that the secretary often stayed after the other office staff left for the day.

"Danny told her that she could have the afternoon off for a dentist appointment." Chin told the boss quietly. "Ben had gone down to the lab and I had just left the office to get the Doc's report on the Mason murder. Danny was the only one left in the office working on reports. He wanted to get them out of the way before he left to pick you up at the airport." Chin paused and shook his head before he spoke again, "The gunman couldn't have picked a better time, Bruddah. He must have been watching."

"Yeah," McGarrett agreed with Chin's theory, "Waiting until he thought 'I' was alone and not expecting any trouble and then wham!"

"He used the element of surprise." Chin continued with the theory, "Making the hit right in your office where you would least expect it."

"Trying to make it look like a professional hit!" Steve continued.

"But he made one mistake," Ben interrupted angrily, "he didn't know what you looked liked and took out Danny instead!"

McGarrett glanced at his new Polynesian detective, he knew that Ben had known Danno before joining the team but this was the first time he realized just how close the friendship was. "Easy Ben, easy!" he soothed, attempting to cool the detective's rage, "I promise that he won't get away with it. We will find him!"

"You better believe we'll find him!" Ben agreed, barely able to contain his anger at the atrocity that had occurred in their own office.

Chin glanced worriedly at McGarrett, concerned at the reactions of the younger detective but before McGarrett could speak or calm the younger man down any more, the waiting room door slowly opened as Doc stepped inside. The physician looked drained and exhausted as he tugged the surgical cap from his head but he smiled tiredly at the three men anxiously watching his every move.

"Doc?" McGarrett asked nervously as he stepped towards the Coroner/official and trusted physician to the Five O team, "How is he?"

"He's weak and going to be sore for a while but barring any unforeseen complications he's going to make it!" Doc grinned as he heard the collective sighs of relief from the three other men in the room.

The lead detective rubbed his hand through his dark hair as his eyes met the smiles of the other detectives. "That's great news, Doc!"

"But that doesn't mean that Danny is going to be up and out of bed and out of here in a day or two! He is still an extremely ill young man." Bergman warned sternly. "The bullets have done a lot of damage that's going to take him some time to recover from."

McGarrett's smile faded as trepidation crept up his spine, "What kind of damage?"

Doc nodded towards the seats and waited until the three detectives had settled before he eased himself down on a seat opposite them as he began to explain, "As you already know, Danny was hit three times. One bullet hit him in the upper arm and passed through, luckily it missed the bone and arteries. It should heal quickly without too many problems. The second bullet struck Danny in the left side of the abdomen and lodged in the liver, causing some heavy bleeding. Although it caused some damage and did nick the portal vein, we were able to stop the bleeding and repair the damage." Doc paused and looked down at his hands, almost as if preparing himself to break some disturbing news.

"And the third bullet?" Steve asked anxiously, prodding the older man to continue.

Doc looked up and sighed, "The third bullet caused the most damage Steve," Doc began quietly, "It hit his spleen and cause massive hemorrhaging. We had no choice, we had to remove it."

"Oh God!" Steve murmured. "So how bad is it? I mean what happens if he doesn't have a spleen?"

"Steve, if anyone had to lose a major organ, the spleen is the best one to lose," Doc answered quietly, "He can survive quite well without it. The spleen helps to filter dead and dying blood cells from the blood and it helps the immune system. He's going to have to be extra vigilante with colds and infections in the future but the loss of the spleen shouldn't affect his career or his life dramatically. "

"Thank God, " Ben breathed out quietly as Doc continued.

"I have him listed on the critical list at the moment and intend to keep him closely monitored in ICU for at least twenty-four hours, just until we finish transfusing him and he stabilizes a little more but I see no reason why tomorrow night he shouldn't be well enough to be upgraded to serious but stable and be moved to a private room."

McGarrett nodded, "Can I see him?"

"Can I stop you?" Doc grinned as he rose from his chair and glanced down at his watch, "They should have him settled by now but don't expect him to be awake until at least tomorrow. That boy has had a hard night Steve, he's lost a lot of blood and his body needs to rest so it can start to recover."

"I know, Doc," Steve said quietly, "Just for a few minutes."

H50H50H50

"No! NO! NO!" The angry shout escaped his lips as he screwed up the newspaper and threw it at the wall. "No! They're lying!" He screamed at the empty room, kicking the small coffee table over in rage. "It was McGarrett I hit not his Second-In-Command! It was McGarrett! I know it was cause he was in his office!"

The words in the paper once again played across his mind, 'Doctors are tonight battling to save the life of Hawaii Five- O's Second –In-Command Detective Danny Williams after a gunman entered the offices of the elite State Police Unit. "It can't be! His name was on the door, I saw it!" He suddenly laughed bitterly, "Probably another one of McGarrett's tricks. They wouldn't announce that the oh-so-famous detective had been killed so easily in his own office!" He whispered to himself as he ran a hand through his greasy, unkempt hair, "After all he is supposedly the best thing since sliced bread. Well, now they will know just what he really was! Their gunna find out just how evil he was!"

Satisfied he was onto their lying tricks, he settled back down onto the sofa, leaning forward to press the one switch of his small T.V., relaxing as the black and white picture flickered onto the screen as he grabbed the wadded up newspaper and shook it out so he could once again read the headline: FIVE-O DETECTIVE CRITICAL AFTER PALACE SHOOTING. "It was you McGarrett! I KNOW it was you!" Then he looked at the headline again as though suddenly realizing what it said. "Critical! You're supposed to be dead!"

The quiet voice on the TV screen caught his attention as he heard the announcer mention his nemesis name and he glanced back up at the screen, frowning as the picture of a dark haired man stared back at him, "McGarrett was not on the islands when the attack on his Second-In-command happened in the Hawaii Five O offices late this afternoon." A second photo flashed up on the screen and he recognized the man who he had shot immediately as the announcer continued to talk, "Detective Danny Williams remains in a critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery this evening. We will bring you more on this dramatic shooting as details become available."

"DAMN IT!" He screamed at the TV. How could this be? The name on the heavy wooden door was McGarrett. Why was this Williams guy in there? It was a simple mistake anybody could have made it. "But it's not gonna get you off the hook McGarrett. I know who you are now, and you're gonna pay for what you've done. You're going to pay!"

H50H50H50

Ben Kokoa's breath caught in his throat, almost choking him as he saw the motionless body of his close friend and colleague in the ICU bed. Danny was almost as pale as the white sheets; only the steady rise and fall of his chest and the steady beep of the heart monitor beside the bed reassured the shocked detective that Danny was still in the world of the living. Even from the doorway, he could see the stark white dressings that covered most of the young man's abdomen peeking out above the folded sheet. The two drips that snaked down from the stand that hung above the bed and disappeared beneath the small dressing on the back of Danny's left hand, the various tubes and wires that were connected to him or emerged from under the sheet confirmed to the Samoan detective just how sick his young friend was. Ben hesitated, unable to bring himself any closer as McGarrett brushed past and hurried to the side of the bed. He watched in astonishment as his normally aloof boss placed a hand lightly on the injured man's shoulder and began to whisper to him.

"You're going to be fine, Aikane, Doc says you're good for a full recovery, " McGarrett told his unconscious detective softly.

Glancing toward the door, a small nod from his boss made it clear to Ben that it was okay to approach the bed.

Feeling a bit awkward, Ben stood silently behind his boss, not wanting to interrupt as McGarrett returned his attention back to the still man in the bed, unable to stop staring at the too pale face and the stark white bandages that covered the top part of Danny's right arm and peeked out from beneath the sheet that covered him. He swallowed hard forcing the image of Danny lying on the office floor bleeding from his mind as his fingers lightly touched Danny's shoulder. "I Olelo-pa'a Hana io Loa'a nana Eha 'oe, Danny," he whispered, ignoring the questioning look from his boss as he straightened up and stepped away from the edge of the bed. Turning to look at his boss, he announced quietly. "I think I'll head back to the office, Steve, I want to finish going through your files and start to check out the alibis of the scum who have threatened you." Casting a quick glance back at Danny before looking back at Steve, he asked, "Have there been any threats made against you lately that we may not be aware of?"

McGarrett shook his head as he looked at Ben. "No, also check any threats Danno may have received and place a guard on Danno's door. I don't want anyone not authorized getting anywhere near him!"

"Steve, don't you think you should have a guard too? I mean the guy is after you. Danny just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." Ben insisted. He saw his boss bristle at the suggestion but refused to back down as McGarrett spun angrily towards him.

"I can look after myself!" McGarrett growled, the mere thought of having a shadow was suffocating, "Let's use our manpower catching the man responsible for this rather than waste it guarding me!"

"But Boss..." Chin interrupted unfazed by McGarrett's reaction, "Ben's right! This was a hit against you, Danny was hit by mistake."

Standing his ground, Ben hoped he could get his boss to see reason as he added, "Steve, this guy is brazen! It takes a lot of nerve to come into the Palace and open fire, so he obviously wants you pretty bad." Hesitating, he continued more gently, "You need to have someone with you watching your back." He glanced towards Danny before he added quietly, "And I know Danny would rest better if he knows we have you covered."

That was one point McGarrett knew he couldn't argue with, but he was not going to waste valuable manpower when he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. "Lets get Danno covered first," he answered softly, deciding to dodge the issue for now. "I'm going to stay here for a while so the one guard will be enough protection for both of us.

Chin glanced at Ben and shrugged, knowing their boss's "guard" would go no further than the hospital room door but for now the compromise was better than nothing.

"Okay Steve," Ben reluctantly conceded as he turned and walked briskly from the room, angry that the Boss was willing to risk his life after such a callous and brazen attempt rather than accept protection.

Chin watched the Samoan detective leave the room before he turned back towards McGarrett as McGarrett asked softly, "I Olelo-pa'a Hana io Loa'a nana Eha 'oe?"

The Chinese detective frowned as he thought about the Hawaiian words Ben had spoken to Danny. He shrugged apologetically to his boss as he answered tentatively, "I think he promised to find whoever did this, Steve, but I'm not sure."

McGarrett nodded as he used his foot to snag the chair behind him and pulled it closer before he sat down. Looking back over his shoulder towards the door that Ben had just left through, he ordered softly, "Keep an eye on him Chin and keep me updated."

"Done, Boss!" Chin answered as he turned and left the room hurrying to catch up with his partner.

Returning his attention back to the man in the bed, Steve reached through the bed rails and lightly squeezed Danny's hand as he whispered, "If Ben and Chin are right and this was a hit against me, I'm so sorry that you got caught in the middle, Aikane, " McGarrett squeezed the hand tighter as he blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as he echoed Ben's Hawaiian promise, "We WILL find whoever did this, Danno, I promise, and until we do you will have a guard protecting you. So I want you to just rest and concentrate on getting better."

H50H50H50

"Pa'akikî!" Ben muttered angrily as the two men stepped into the elevator, "I've never met anyone more pupule or pa'akiki in all my life! Can't he get it through his hard head that he was the intended hit not Danny?" Chin remained silent as Ben stabbed the button to take them to the ground floor as the younger detective continued to vent. "Damn it, Chin, he wants Danny fully protected and ignores the protection himself!"

Chin watched as the numbers counted down, "You know how Steve is and he's not gonna change."

"If we can't work with him maybe we should work around him," Ben muttered as the doors slid open and the men walked out.

"Watch what you do, Bruddah," Chin warned as they walked across the hospital foyer and outside into the darkness, "The boss can be pretty hard-headed, especially when it comes to protection for himself, and I wouldn't recommend going around him." Reaching the parked sedan, Chin opened the door and slid behind the wheel. He waited until Ben climbed into the passengers seat and had closed the door before he looked at his colleague and added with a small smile, "Besides we both know the only person who might get away with doing that is Danny."


	3. Chapter 3

Click! Click! Click! The sound echoed in the small room as the Uzi was dry-fired at the dark-haired man on the television. "I won't miss you next time, McGarrett."

Sitting heavily on the saggy old couch, he re-loaded the weapon, watching intently as the story of the shooting was repeated and the tall, stern Head of Five-O glared with undisguised impatience at the camera."Bang!" he sneered, "You're dead."

Placing the loaded weapon carefully on the coffee table, he thought back to the earlier scene...The way it felt to enter the private kingdom of the great Steve McGarrett; the name leering at him from the heavy wooden door...and best of all... the look. The blue eyes opened wide in absolute astonishment as he pointed his gun at the curly haired man behind the big desk...and the sound of the bullets as they hit their mark… he shuddered in excitement as the curly haired image was replaced by the taller dark haired detective - the man so deserving of reaping this final reward for the crimes he had committed.

H50 H50 H50

The slight movement of the cool hand under his brought the head of Five-O to instant wakefulness. Pushing the hair out of his eyes he realized that the night was quickly fading as he shifted in the chair he'd occupied for hours and leaned closer to the bed in which his Second-In-Command rested. Hoping that Danno was beginning to wake up, he gently rubbed the back of his fingers against the pale cheek. "Danno." He said softly, "Can you hear me? Open your eyes." His quiet behest was answered as the patient drew a deeper breath and whimpered as his eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Easy, Danno, easy," McGarrett murmured as he rose and leaned over into Danny's line of sight, smiling as the blue pacific irises of the patient became visible under the heavy lids. "Everything's okay. You're gonna be fine."

"Steve...?" Danny whispered in confusion as he tried to focus on the face that floated just above him.

"Yeah Danno, it's me." Steve softly reassured him as he placed a hand gently atop the sandy curls he knew so well. "You're safe, you are in Queens Hospital. You took two bullets in your gut and one in your arm." Seeing the horrified look on his youngest detective's face, Steve quickly rushed to reassure him, "But Doc says you're going to be fine."

Danny nodded slightly as he tried to pull together his foggy memory.

"Danno, do you remember what happened?"

A frown crossed the young man's face as he closed his eyes as some of the pieces solidified. "I…I was shot?" McGarrett nodded at the question but remained silent as his young detective struggled to recall more details. He watched as the frown deepened with Danno's limited concentration and waited as Danny began to speak haltingly as he tried to remember what had happened." I...I was at your desk...working…when someone...in a ...in a mask...came in." He swallowed hard as the pain in his stomach and arm made itself known and he slipped his hand down, feeling the thick dressings that covered his abdomen. McGarrett jumped when Danny's eyes opened wide in horror as the young man suddenly tried to rise as he gasped. "He…he thought I…was you! He...he had a Uzi…Oh God, Steve…he shot me!"

McGarrett moved quickly, "Easy Danno easy," he soothed as he pressed his hands against the upset young man's shoulders and eased Danny back down onto the pillows, "You're safe Aikane, you're safe."

"No! No!" Danny gasped as he weakly grabbed his boss's arm, trying to ensure he had McGarrett's full attention as he whispered, "He…he thought I was…you, Steve! He said something about… you...deserving it..."

Growing alarmed at Danny's growing agitation, McGarrett grabbed the nurse call button, pressing it as he tried to calm Danny down. "It's okay, Danno. You're safe here. I have a HPD guard posted outside the door. No one can enter without my permission." He whispered as Danny moaned in pain as his struggling pulled at his stitches.

"No, Steve." Danny whispered fearfully, attempting to make McGarrett understand, "Not Me… You…he wants…you!" Collapsing back against the pillows in exhaustion, the young detective stared up at his closest friend as he weakly grabbed McGarrett's hand and pleaded softly, "You're the one… who needs…protection Steve…not me!"

"I'm fine, Danno," Steve tried to reassure Danny, "I can take care of myself!"

Danny shook his head as he struggled to stay awake, ignoring Bergman and the nurse who ran into the room as he used the last of his waning energy to look up at his boss, "Promise me… Steve, you…will have …protection…" his voice faded away as he lost his battle to stay awake.

Steve stepped back as Doc brushed past him, his eyes never leaving his friend's now lax face as he heard Bergman demand, "What happened?"

"He woke and became agitated when I asked him a few questions about the shooting," McGarrett admitted quietly, ignoring the nurse's angry tut at his explanation. "Is he okay?"

"His heart is racing!" Doc murmured, glancing at the heart monitor sitting on the table beside the bed before lifting the thin sheet covering his patient. He frowned as he saw the small splotches of red that now stained the abdominal dressings. Gently peeling the dressings away the frown deepened with concern, "And he has torn a couple of stitches." The angry and accusing look on the physician's face as Bergman turned to faced him warned McGarrett that silence was probably his best option for the moment as Bergman growled, "Steve, you know he has just come out of surgery! Just what the hell did you think you were doing? He's in no condition to answer any of your questions!"

"I needed to know what he could remember!" Steve began to defend himself but his voice dropped as he quietly admitted, "I never expected him to react like the way he did, I never meant to upset him." McGarrett swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving Danny's motionless form in the bed as Doc turned back to finish his examination of the young detective. "How is he?"

"He's torn a few stitches but nothing I can't repair here." Doc answered distractedly as he lifted the surgical dressings and studied the wounds, his heart going out to the detective who stood watching anxiously over his shoulder. Straightening up, Bergman turned and suggested quietly, "Listen Steve, why don't you go home and get some sleep. Danny's condition is stable and you're exhausted."

"I'm fine!' McGarrett snapped out too quickly before shaking his head apologetically, "I'm sorry Doc. I managed to get some sleep last night, I think I might just head back to the palace. Please ring me if there's any change."

Bergman sighed and nodded, aware that arguing with the stubborn Irish descended cop would only cause frustration. "Okay Steve," he answered, turning back to his patient.

McGarrett hesitated a moment as he stared at the unconscious man in the bed, silently vowing to keep him safe and find the man responsible before he turned and left the room.

The HPD officer jumped to his feet and turned as the head of the State Police exited the hospital room. "Good morning, sir."

McGarrett was tired and worried and not in the mood to mince words. "No one, and I mean NO ONE is to go into that room who is not authorized. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," he stuttered as he watched the lead detective turn and storm angrily away down the corridor.

H50H50H50

Watching the doors of the elevator slide open, his hand curled in desire around the weapon hidden in his pocket as he watched the man he hated more than anyone in the world step out into the hospital lobby. A soft angry hiss escaped through his lips as the dark haired detective stalk angrily across the room and out of the hospital doors. The news reports were right – it wasn't McGarrett he had hit but his insignificant Second–In-Command - the cop named Williams.

Rising from his seat, he glanced at the closed doors of the elevator, briefly trying to decide if he should tie up loose ends upstairs or if he should follow his mortal enemy. Chewing his bottom lip, he turned and watched McGarrett cross the road outside. He had missed the traitor once; he would not miss him again! His decision made, he turned and hurried towards the door.

H5OH5OH5O

McGarrett glanced into his rear vision mirror, carefully watching the cars traveling behind him. He was unable to shake off the sensation that he was being followed. Shaking his head, he chided himself for his paranoia as he turned into the palace parking lot and cruised towards the palace without the signs of a tail.

The normally ten minute drive from Queens Hospital to Iolani Palace had taken him almost thirty as he took the sightseeing route, turning down narrow streets to weave in and out of the morning peak hour traffic in an attempt to catch sight of the phantom that he believed was following him. Rocking to a stop in his usual parking spot, he glanced one more time in the mirror, searching for anything amiss before opening the door and climbing out. Locking the door, he turned and hurried up the cement stairs, uncomfortably aware of his vulnerability out in the open.

He paused as he passed through the ornate front doors and glanced back over his shoulder, again searching the parking lot and palace grounds for anyone acting suspiciously. "Get a grip, McGarrett!" he muttered angrily to himself as he turned, almost in embarrassment with his sudden paranoia, and jogged up the Koa internal stairs to the Five-O office.

H50H50H50

Entering the anteroom he immediately noticed the door to his office was closed, a small piece of yellow tape still stuck to the molding - an innocuous reminder of the horror that had occurred earlier. Hesitating momentarily, he took a deep breath and entered what had previously been his sanctuary. His chair had been moved from its usual spot behind the desk. The material was now torn and stained with blood. Danno's blood. He slammed his hand on the desk, causing the remnants of print dust to float into the air. Danno's innocent blood had been shed in his place and the thought sickened and angered him. He looked at the bullet holes that pockmarked the walls and the blood, now brown and dried, that had soaked into the carpet. Whoever had committed this atrocity, this violation of his world...his ohana...would not get away with it.

A sort but sharp rap at his door interrupted his thoughts and he drew a deep breath in an attempt to regain a sense of control as he turned to find Ben, Chin and Che all watching him closely. He nodded for them to enter as he moved around to the front of his desk, settling himself onto Danno's spot as the three men sat down on the chairs in front of him.

"How's Danny, Boss?" Chin asked softly, aware that McGarrett had not left their young colleague's side at all during the night.

"He's holding his own." Steve answered succinctly as the guilt of Danny's agitation washed over him. Forcing himself to push the guilt to the back of his mind, he added, "He was awake briefly this morning and I did manage to carry out a quick question and answer session with him before he become upset and Doc sedated him." A quick warning glance from Chin stopped Ben for asking the reason for his friend's agitation as McGarrett looked over their shoulders and continued. "He wasn't able to offer anything more than the gunman wore a mask and caught him by surprise. So what have we got?"

"Not much I'm afraid, Steve," the forensics expert informed the agitated head of Five-O, knowing this was not the desired answer. "There were no prints. The bullets were 9mm," Che reported, holding up a plastic evidence bag of flat, misshapen pieces of metal that used to be bullets. Che looked at the bag of metal pieces before meeting Steve's intent gaze. "These bullets are all hollow point, and you know what that means... they were meant for just one thing."

"Doing as much damage as possible...or killing." Steve acknowledged grimly. "This guy knew what he was doing." Che nodded as McGarrett turned to his two detectives, "What about anyone with grudges against Danno?"

"Everyone who made a threat or even a hint of a threat is being checked out Steve," Chin answered. "So far they all have airtight alibis. It's going to take time to find any cracks."

"I have some of the guys tracking down everyone that threatened you as well." Ben added pointedly, "Especially after Danny was hit in your office!" Ignoring his boss's heated glare the Samoan added brazenly, "and Danny did say the guy thought he was you!"

"We need to use our resources more carefully, Ben." McGarrett growled, "We are treating this as a hit on Danny until we have evidence otherwise."

Ben launched himself angrily from the chair. "God, Steve, why do you always have to be so damn stubborn? Look at that!" He stabbed his finger at one of the bullet holes that marred the wall behind the big desk. "This guy isn't messing around. You owe it the rest of us, if not yourself, and especially Danny, to have protection." He stopped and narrowed his eyes at his boss. "That's why Danny got upset, isn't it? He wanted you to have protection and you told him no. You said Doc had to sedate him." He shook his head in disgust, "You're not doing Danny any favors you know. Now instead of concentrating on getting better he's going to be worrying about you!"

Che glanced nervously at Chin before the two men returned their attention anxiously back towards their angry colleagues, aware that anything they could say would only inflame the situation.

McGarrett's gaze never wavered from the angry eyes of the tall Samoan as he answered in measured tones. "We don't know who this guy is, but we're going to find him. Until we do, we're going to guard Danno. I can take care of myself." Rising from his position on the desk, Steve continued more softly, "As for Danno, you are right Ben, Danno needs to concentrate on getting better, not worrying about the case. So until Doc says he is well enough, I think we should refrain from asking him any more questions or even mentioning our progress on the case. Is that understood?"

"Understood!" Ben growled angrily, aware that McGarrett had once again dismissed even the notion of protection. "Do you need me anymore for this meeting, Boss? I have a few snitches I want to squeeze."

McGarrett shook his head, silently dismissing his furious detective, his jaw clenching in anger as he watched Ben turn and storm from the room.

"He's worried about your safety, Boss." Chin spoke up quietly.

Turning his attention back to the two men in the chairs, Steve sighed, "I know Chin, I know."

H50H50H50

"He doesn't give a damn about his own safety! He's just ignoring the facts - how they hell are we supposed to protect him if he refuses to listen." Ben muttered as he stomped down the internal stairs and out of the palace. "I don't know how Danny handles him – he's just so God damn stubborn." He growled as he ran down the stairs and across to the company sedan. "Doesn't he know that his refusing protection is not going to help Danny any? He didn't see the panic in Danny's eyes last night, when Danny was more concerned about him than his own injuries!" He hissed as he climbed into the car and slammed the door closed.

H50H50H50

Sliding down in his seat, he grinned as he watched the Samoan detective emerge from the building and stalk angrily to the car next to his car, without even glancing in his direction. "Looks like there is possible dissension in the ranks!" he giggled as he turned his attention back to the front entrance as the detective's car sped out of the palace grounds. From his advantage point, he could see the comings and goings of everyone at the Palace. Considering that McGarrett had spent all night at the hospital, it would only stand to reason that he would soon be going back, so the wait shouldn't be too long and when the great McGarrett came out again, he was going to be ready.


	4. Chapter 4

After flipping the greyish looking, round slab of ground beef on the grill, Nick Monona wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm as he turned back towards the Samoan Five-O detective sitting at the bar watching him. He wiped his greasy hands on his shirt before removing the cigarette that dangled from the corner of his mouth. Flicking the ash onto the floor, he glanced towards the two men at the end of the counter, reassuring himself that they were more interested in devouring their food than eavesdropping into any whispered conversations between himself and the Five-O detective. "I heard about what happened to Williams. Too bad, he was an okay guy for a cop," he murmured softly before pulling a dirty looking rag out of his back pocket. He began to wipe the counter, covertly glancing again at the two men before returning his attention back towards Ben. "But I don't know who done it, Ben. I mean, who wouldn't want to see McGarrett eat a bullet. It ain't like McGarrett would ever win any popularity contests, or anything."

"Come on, Nick, you must have heard something. I know you keep your ear close to the coconut wireless." Ben demanded quietly, as he added another ten dollar bill to the other four ten dollar bills he had placed on the counter between them. "With a hit this big, someone must be talking…"

"I swear Ben, nobody knows nothin'." Nick answered as he licked his lips and stared greedily at the money before he turned back to the grill and removed the piece of meat, slapping it onto the buttered bun. He quickly added the rest of the makings of the burger. Placing the sad looking burger onto a plate, he then placed it in front of the detective before he spoke again. "Plenty of talk about what happen, Bruddah, but no-one's admittin' nothin'. And there ain't no contract been put out on Williams or McGarrett that I know of."

The Samoan detective sighed as he pushed the money across the counter to the other man. "If you hear anything…"

"Yeah, yeah, bruddah, I will let you know!" Nick nodded his head as he quickly snatched up the money and stuffed it into his pocket before he nodded towards the untouched burger in front of Ben. "You gunna eat that?" he asked as Ben stood up to leave.

"You can eat it." Ben answered as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"And give myself food poisonin'? No way!" Nick laughed at the detective's retreating back as he picked up the plate and emptied its contents into the closest trashcan.

H5OH5OH5O

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Ben pulled his notebook from his pocket. Opening it up, he placed a small cross next to Nick's name before he glanced at the next name on the list. He still had at least four more snitches to talk to as he snapped the notebook closed and returned it back to his coat pocket. So far the morning had proven totally frustrating and completely fruitless, with each of his snitches denying knowing anything about the attempted hit. Glancing at his watch, he wondered if he would have time to visit Danny after he had spoken to the last four snitches.

H5OH5OH5O

Grabbing the next file from the large stack that sat on Danny's desk beside him, McGarrett flipped it open and quickly glanced through it, before he walked over to the large white board, he had set up in the small cubicle, and added another name to the growing list and the alibi that had given when interviewed by HPD. He paused a moment, as he studied the name he had just added before he added a small star beside the name for Chin or Ben to re-interview later. He stepped back and stared at the long list of names and shook his head in frustration, the list was growing longer and without being able to interview Danny about what had happened last night, they had very little evidence. He felt the guilt rise in his chest as his remembered the gentle questioning session he had tried with Danny earlier. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Jenny softly call, "Boss, the Governor is on the phone. He wants a full update on Danny's shooting. Stuart and he are waiting for you in his office."

Glancing across at his petite secretary, who held her hand across the mouthpiece of her phone, he nodded. "Tell him I'm on my way."

Stepping out of Danny's small cubicle, he tapped on Chin's adjoining cubical glass wall as he hurried past. "Chin, if you need me, I will be with the Governor."

"Do you want me to come with you, Boss?" Chin asked, as he rose from his seat and began to follow Steve from the office.

Steve waved him back, pausing and turning back as he reached the door. "I'll be fine Chin, I don't need a bodyguard." He tried to reassure his skeptical detective before he turned and rushed out of the door and down the Koa staircase. Dodging past the large group of tourists in the foyer, he stepped through the ornate front doors and out into the warm sunshine. He paused for a moment and glanced around, searching for any potential threats, before he descended the cement stairs and crossed to his car.

Opening the door, he slid inside and placed his key into the ignition. Before he could start the car, he felt the chilling, unmistakable sensation of a gun barrel being pressed against the back of his neck as a voice behind him ordered coldly, "Drive!"

H5OH5OH5O

Stepping into Danny's ICU room, Ben hesitated near the door, uncertain if Danny was asleep and if he should leave and visit the younger man later. He sighed as he turned back towards the door and started to leave before he heard Danny's weak voice call out behind him. "Ben." Turning back around, he smiled and began to walk towards the bed as he saw Danny tiredly watching him.

"The nurse said I could only stay for five minutes." Ben told Danny quietly as he reached the side of the bed and looked down at his critically injured friend, who was propped up a little in the bed by pillows behind him, as images of Danny laying on Steve's office floor, bleeding to death, only hours before slammed into his mind.

Danny nodded weakly as he struggled to keep his eyes open, he felt so tired. Looking up at Ben, he saw the upset look that flitted across Ben's face and as he tried to sit up straighter in the bed as he gasped fearfully, "What's happened…Ben? … Has something… happened… to Steve?"

"No, Danny, Steve's fine." Ben rushed to reassure his friend, gently easing Danny back against the pillows as he added softly, "I left Steve under Chin's watchful eye when I left the office to talk to some of my snitches."

"Listen Ben, Steve... needs protection," Danny whispered tiredly grabbing Ben's arm to make sure he had his friend's full attention as he tried to warn Ben about his closest friend and boss's most frustrating trait, "but he's … he's too stubborn to allow it."

Ben grinned as he patted his friend's arm, "Already done, Bruddah," Danny frowned in confusion as Ben continued, "I got some of the HPD guys keeping an eye on him, only Steve doesn't know it."

"Steve won't… be happy if… he finds out you went… behind his… back… but Mahalo..." Danny mumbled softly as his eyes drifted closed, his sentence ending with a deep sigh as his head gently rolled to the side.

"I know but at least he will be alive to yell at me later." Ben reassured his sleeping colleague with a small smile before he turned and left the room.

H5OH5OH5O

Glancing into the rear vision mirror at the blue eyes that watched his every move, McGarrett asked, "Where are we going?"

"You're going to Hell, Cop, and you will get there quicker if you try anything funny, so just hold onto that steering wheel and don't even think of letting it go until I tell you to!" the young man in the back seat growled softly, jabbing the gun harder against the back of Steve's neck as he leaned across the back of the seat and reached into Steve's coat and removed Steve's gun. Sitting back a little, he quickly shoved Steve's gun into his belt as he looked around to ensure no one was paying any attention to them before he looked back at the lead detective in the front seat and ordered, "Now just shut up and do as you were told and drive before I blow your brains out right here, right now!"

Steve nodded silently, resisting the growl of frustration and anger towards himself that he had walked so easily into a trap as he started the big car's engine and slowly began to drive towards the palace gates.

"That's a good little pig!" the young gunman grinned in triumph, leaning back on the back-passenger seat with his gun still pointed at the back of Steve's head as the car reached the Palace gate's, "Now head towards Diamond Head and don't stop until I tell you to, got it?" he ordered.

Steve nodded as he eased his car out into the traffic and turned in the direction that he was ordered to go. Glancing in the mirror, he noticed a blue car pull out of the palace grounds a few seconds after he did and turn in the same direction, only a few cars behind.

Looking back in the mirror at the man sitting behind him, Steve tried hard to recognize the young man's face. There was a familiarity about the young man but he could not remember ever meeting him, or even why he was familiar, but the look of pure unadulterated hatred warned Steve that the young man was dangerous.

Looking back in the rear vision mirror, Steve spotted the same blue car that he had noticed earlier still following them at a distance. 'Ben!' McGarrett resisted the small smile grace his lips as he realized his newest detective had decided to go against his orders and assigned his own watch dogs to keep an eye on him. Glancing back in the face in the mirror, Steve knew that where ever they were going the young man had no intentions of allowing him to leave alive.

Swallowing hard, as he prayed that his assumptions about the car following them was indeed HPD officers and not friends of his captor, Steve suddenly jerked the steering wheel sending the large car off the road and into a tree. He heard the young man in the back seat cry out in surprise as they were both thrown forward by the impact before his head hit the windshield and he heard the sound of breaking glass and crumbling metal as the world around him faded to black.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hold his head as still as you can while I get the backboard behind him."

Lifting his hand up to try and grab one of the hands that firmly prevented him from even moving his head, Steve moaned as he opened his eyes and tried to bring the world around him back into focus.

Quickly reaching across, Duke grabbed Steve's hand and firmly lowered it back down to Steve's lap as he gently admonished the injured lead detective, "It's okay Steve, you've been in an accident. We don't want you to move your head just in case you have hurt your neck or back. We're just getting you onto the backboard so we can get you out of the car and to the hospital where Doc Bergman is waiting to check you out."

"Did you catch… him, Duke?" Steve mumbled as he struggled to turn his head to look around, searching for the young gunman who had been in the car.

The Hawaiian HPD sergeant frowned, holding McGarrett's head firmly, preventing him from moving, asked in confusion, "Catch who, Steve?"

"He was… in the… car…" Steve murmured as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Duke's frown deepened and he looked across at the two ambulance attendants who shrugged at the injured man's incoherent ramblings before he looked back down at Steve, "Who was in the car?"

"Danno's …shooter…" Steve breathed as he struggled to free himself from the firm hands holding both sides of his head, preventing him from moving it as he tried desperately to look around the car again.

"Danny's shooter, are you sure?" Duke's eye's opened wide in surprise as he stared down at the Steve.

"He had…a gun…He...he was...waiting for...me..." Steve words trailed off into silence as his eyes slowly closed.

"Okay, he's secure, let's get him out of here." The ambulance man announced as he quickly moved Duke out of the way and they lifted Steve, who was now strapped securely to the backboard, free of the wreckage.

H5O H5O H5O

Standing amongst the growing crowd of on-lookers, he watched as McGarrett was carefully lifted from the car and placed on a stretcher before being quickly wheeled across to the back of the ambulance and placed inside. He wasn't sure just how the detective had survived the crash, the front driver's side of the car had taken the full impact against the tree, throwing McGarrett forward and causing his head to slam against the windscreen, cracking the glass.

He had been lucky, he had managed to brace himself a little against the impending impact in the few seconds after he had realized just what McGarrett's intentions had been when the cop jerked the wheel to left and the large car headed towards the trees. The impact had stunned him for a few minutes, and he had not escaped injury free, but he had managed to escape before the unmarked blue police car had arrived on the scene.

"I blew it! I should have just killed the bastard when he first got into the car. There was no one around, I could have just put one into the back of his head and then walked away! No one would have seen me, it would have been so easy!" The young man growled at himself, wiping his bloody nose on the back of one of the gloves he was wearing as he turned and began to limp away from the scene.

Turning his head to glare at the ambulance with its sirens blaring as it sped past him, he ignored the angry comments from the woman he bumped into, almost knocking her to the ground. "But no, no, I had to decide it would be more fun to make him suffer for a little while he waited to die! I blew it and now the bastard is still alive!" he continued to berate himself softly, pulling the latex gloves free before shoving them into his pocket as he watched the ambulance disappear around the corner with the man whom he hated the most in the world safely inside. 'McGarrett might have gotten lucky twice but he would not be anywhere near as lucky the third time,' he vowed silently to himself, holding his injured ribs tightly as he limped across the road and headed back towards his apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ben!"

Stepping out of Danny's room, Ben jumped in surprise as he heard his name called and he turned to find Duke hurrying towards him. The look on the HPD sergeant's face warned him that something serious had happened.

"Dispatch told me you were here," Duke began breathlessly before looking over Ben's shoulder into Danny's room as he asked softly, "How is he?"

"Sleeping," Ben answered, looking back over his shoulder before looking questioningly back at Duke as the older man gently grabbed him by the arm and lead him a few steps away from the HPD officer who was guarding the door. Feeling his stomach tighten with dread at Duke's strange behavior, Ben asked, "What's happened, Duke?"

"It's Steve, Bruddah," Duke answered softly, glancing back towards the ICU room door, reassuring himself that if Danny woke, he would not hear their conversation before he returned his attention back to the Samoan detective, "he's been involved in a car accident. He's downstairs in Emergency."

"How bad?" Ben asked, shocked at the news as they turned and hurried towards the ICU doors.

"Bad, Bergman's with him now." Duke told him as the doors leading into the ICU closed behind them and they walked across to the elevator. Slapping the elevator button, Duke continued softly, "He has a head injury and they were worried about whether if he has suffered any spinal or internal injuries as well."

"What happened?" Ben frowned as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside, and Duke stabbed the button to take them down to the first floor.

Duke shrugged as the elevator doors closed and the elevator jerked before it began its descent, "I don't know, Ben, I was tailing him when he left the palace, but I lost sight of him for just a few seconds when he turned right onto Nuuanu Avenue. By the time I turned the corner, he had already crashed into a tree."

"Was there another car involved in the accident? Was he able to tell you what happened?" Ben asked as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.

"Steve's car appeared to be the only car involved." the HPD sergeant answered as they stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the Emergency Rooms department, "Steve was unconscious when I reached the car but he regained consciousness just as they were releasing him from the car." Duke hesitated before he added softly, "He told me that Danny's shooter had been in the car with him, Bruddah."

"Danny's shooter?" Ben stopped walking as he turned and faced his colleague, "Are you sure?"

"McGarrett was pretty out of it because of the head injury, Ben, he was really confused," Duke began to explain his doubts about Steve's claims, "I didn't see anyone else in the car when I was following him and there was no one else in the car when I arrived only a minute or two after the crash. But to make sure, I have some of the guys trying to find any witnesses but so far…" Duke shrugged in a silent indication that no one had seen anyone emerge from the wreckage after the car had hit the tree.

Ben sighed and nodded as they began to walk again, "Is it possible that there another car involved, one that had left the scene before you got there?"

"Not that anyone we have interviewed so far saw, Ben," Duke told the Five-O detective softly as they reached the closed door to the Emergency room where the lead Five-O detective was being examined. Turning to look at Ben, Duke added, "And I didn't see any skid marks…" he paused as the entrance doors to the Emergency Rooms opened and Chin hurried in. He waited until Chin looked around before hurrying across to join them before he finished softly his sentence, "So I'm guessing that Steve's car had some sort of major mechanical malfunction."

"Hopefully Che will be able to tell us just what caused the accident." Chin sighed as he reached them before asking, "Any word on his condition?"

"He's going to be our guest for at least twenty-four hours."

The three men jumped and spun around as Doc joined them.

"How is he, Doc?" Chin asked, anxiously.

"Acting like a bear with a sore head and scaring the hell out of the poor nurses," Bergman smiled before growing more serious. "but he is extremely lucky. He has a moderate concussion, a result of his head slamming against the windscreen, and the main reason why he is going to be our guest. He also has two broken ribs and severe bruising to his chest from hitting the steering wheel. I've wrapped his ribs and we will be transferring him up to a room shortly. He's going to be a little stiff and sore for a few days and he has one hell of a headache, but barring any unforeseen complications, he's looking good for a full recovery."

"Thank God," Chin murmured.

Doc nodded in agreement as he added, "From what I was told about the accident, I'm amazed he is not more seriously injured than he is."

"Can we see him?" Ben asked.

"I would like to get him settled in his room and let him rest before he has any visitors and answers any of your questions about what happened." Doc told the three men firmly as he lightly placed his hands on Chin's and Ben's backs, "Now, if you boys will excuse me, I better get back in there before he decides he wants to make one of his famous McGarrett escape attempts and wants to sign a AMA and leave."

"Thanks, Doc." Chin nodded as Bergman turned and headed back to the Emergency Room that McGarrett currently occupied, "And Doc-"

"I know," Doc smiled and shook his head as he reached the door and pushed it open, "I'll call if there's any change in either Steve's or Danny's conditions."

"Thanks, Doc," Ben called out softly as Bergman disappeared into the room and the door closed behind him. Turning back to Duke, Ben ordered, "Duke, I want you to stay here with Steve-."

"The Boss is not going to be happy, Bruddah," Chin told his colleague softly.

"I know, Chin, but there's been one attempt against his life already in the palace last night, except the perp didn't know what Steve looked like and Danny was hit instead. And we still don't know if this accident was just an accident or another attempt on Steve's life. I am going to make sure that there won't be a third, not if I can do anything to prevent it!" Ben growled, "Even if it means that McGarrett sends me back to HPD for disobeying his orders, at least he will still be alive to do it."

Seeing the fear, anger and desperation to keep their small ohana safe in Ben's eyes, Chin nodded his agreement. Turning back to Duke, he warned the uniformed HPD sergeant, "McGarrett's not going to like it, Duke, but don't let him out of your sight." Patting the HPD sergeant on the shoulder, he promised. "Ben or I will be back to relieve you in a couple of hours."

Duke nodded as the two Five-O detectives turned and headed towards the elevators.

H5OH5OH5O

Looking up from the two bullets he was examining under the microscope, Che nodded to the two Five-O detectives as they entered the lab. Sitting up a little straighter, he waited until the two men reached him before he asked anxiously, "How's Steve and Danny?"

"Steve has a concussion and broke a rib, he's going to be stiff and sore for a few days but he's going to be okay. Danny's still critical but Doc's hoping that he will be able to upgrade his condition later today." Ben answered.

"Thank God," Che breathed before he shook his head, "I still can't believe just how brazen the shooter was…"

Chin nodded, glancing at Ben. Seeing the tension in the younger man's face, Chin quickly changed the too-raw subject about the shooting as he turned back to Che and asked, "What have you got for us?"

If Che noticed the tension, he chose to ignore it as he picked up a small stack of photos taken both at the scene, and of the damage to the front of Steve's Mercury, and spread them carefully across the bench. Pointing to several photos showing the condition of the road and the car resting against the tree after the accident, he began his report. "I checked the accident site, the road was dry and there was no skid marks. In fact, I could find no reason why Steve suddenly swerved off the road and I found nothing to indicate that he even attempted to brake before hitting the tree." Pointing to the photos that had been taken at the lab showing the damage to the front of the car, Che continued, "The driver's side of the car took the full brunt of the accident. From the amount of damage, I am able to estimate that the car was travelling at approximately thirty miles an hour when he hit the tree."

"So, Steve was speeding?" Ben asked, not surprised, the boss had the reputation of sometimes having a heavy foot on the accelerator.

Che nodded, "But I doubt that speed was a major contributing factor in the accident."

"If speed wasn't a contributing factor, what about the possibility of mechanical failure? Maybe something in the steering broke or Steve's brakes failed." Chin frowned.

Che shook his head as he collected the photos back up and placed them aside, "I went over Steve's car with a fine-tooth comb, everything was in perfect running order."

"So, are you saying that Steve may have crashed the car into the tree deliberately, Bruddah?" Ben asked slowly, trading confused looks with Chin before he returned his attention back to the small oriental Forensic Scientist.

"That's what the evidence points to, so far," Che replied before he added cryptically, "but I think I have an answer to the question why." Reaching across the bench, he picked up a clear plastic evidence bag, containing a gun, "After I got the car back to the lab, I remembered that Duke told me at the scene that Steve claimed that there was someone in the car with him. So, on a hunch I checked the back seat and hit pay dirt. I found this under the back seat."

Reaching for the bag, Ben gave a soft whistle as he turned the gun over in his hand, "A Smith and Weston. "

"A Smith and Weston Model 39." Che smiled, correcting Ben as Ben passed the bagged weapon to Chin and the forensic expert continued. "It's a semi-automatic weapon, capable of firing eight rounds of 9 mm bullets without reloading."

Snapping his head up from examining the gun, Chin stared at Che, "9 mm?"

Che nodded, "I ran a ballistics test with the bullets I pulled out of the wall and the bullets that Doc removed from Danny with a bullet fired from this gun. They're a match. This is the gun that was used to shoot Danny. It also explains why the shooter was able to fire so many bullets when he shot Danny without having to reload."

"So, if Danny's shooter was in the car with Steve." Ben breathed, looking down at the gun that Chin held before he looked back up at Che, "Maybe that's why Steve crashed the car."

Che nodded before he added, "And he was injured in the crash. I found fresh blood smeared on the back of Steve's driver's seat. Steve's blood type is O positive, the blood smears I found were OB negative."

Looking back down at the gun, Chin asked, "What about the serial number? Can we track the owner of the gun?"

"There's been an attempt to file the serial numbers off," Che told Chin as he took the gun back. Showing the two disappointed Five-O detectives several deep scratch marks where the serial numbers had been stamped, he added. ""There's been an attempt to file the serial numbers off, "But leave it with me, there's a couple of things I can do to try and try and make the numbers legible again."

"Mahalo, Bruddah," Chin smiled as he lightly slapped Che's shoulder before he turned with Ben following closely behind and headed towards the door.

"I'll let you know as soon as I have anything," Che called out as Chin and Ben left the lab and the door slowly closed behind them. Turning back to the bench, Che placed the bagged gun back on the bench. Grabbing a pair of latex gloves, he pulled them on before he reached for the evidence bag again.


End file.
